【英语早间课堂】A Hard Nut to Crack

 【主题】

Today I would like to talk to you about a person to whom isn't easily to make advances. What's it ? Let listen to a simple situational dialogue and find it . A : Do you like your new manager?

B : No, he's a hard nut to crack. A : Why?

B : He's too strict with us.

【答疑解惑】

It is " a hard nut to crack ". In this phrase, hard是艰难的意思，nut是坚果的意思，crack是压碎，使分裂的意思。A hard nut to crack 是指很难掰开的坚果。However , in this dialogue, the speaker makes use of figure of speech. It refers to the manager who isn't amiable¹ so that his underlings don't like him and be kind of afraid of him. 在这个对话中，说话者采用了一种比喻的修辞方式来说他的经理不是那么和蔼可亲，对他有几分畏惧之感。Yeah , we can see that how we should bear ourselves as a leader. It is really hard to be a pleased leader. I have an intimate² knowledge of it.

【视野拓展】

Let's look at a sentence: Many students said the Reading Comprehension was a hard nut to crack. 许多学生都说考试的阅读部分真够难的。In this sentence, it refers to " a difficult examination³ question in study ". 在这句中，指的是(在学习上的) 难题。Another sentence is : He is too optimistic about his ability to solve the problem - it is a hard nut to crack. 他太自信自己处理这个问题的能力了，这个问题可是个啃骨头的问题。In this sentence, a hard nut to crack refers to something that is hard to handle. 这句话中是指 ：难以应付，对付，处理的事情，棘手的事情。Let's look at a dialogue:A : I don't understand Tim. He never smiles and laughs. B : I know! He's a hard nut to crack. A : 我真是不理解Tim，他这人从来不笑。B : 我知道。他是个难以被人了解的人。In this sentence, it means a person who is not easily to be learnt about for a particular reason.

【总结】

All right , we've learned⁴ so much that it put me under the table. Let's have a summary. A hard nut to crack 是个名词性短语，to crack 动词不定式 作定语修饰前面的名词 nut. 译为难以掰开的坚果，通常人们用之比喻为： （学习中的）难题；（生活工作中的）棘手的事情，难以对付、处理、应付的事情；（生活工作中的）难以亲近而被别人了解的人；（生活工作中的）那已对付的人。

 

【对话学习】

As usual , let's come to the dialogue study. Please write down the key phrases while listening to the recording⁵ . A : Do you like your new manager?

B : No, he's a hard nut to crack. A : Why?

B : He's too strict with us. I think the following phrases should be kept by heart。

【短语积累】

1 a new manager 新上任的经理2 a hard nut to crack 学习中的难题；棘手的事情，难以对付、处理、应付的事情；难以亲近而被别人了解的人；难以对付的人3 be strict with somebody 对某人严厉要求【咬文嚼字】

There's two sentences in this dialogue, being worth polishing it. 1 He's a hard nut to crack. 【翻译】：他是个很那啃的骨头。

【要点】：to crack 是动词不定时短语，作定语修饰nut. 2 He's too strict with us . 【翻译】他对我们要求太严厉了。

【要点】"To be strict with" is a set phrase . 意思是对某人严厉要求，如果说是在哪方面严厉要求，用介词 with ，那么说在哪方面严厉要求某人就是：be strict with somebody in something . For example: When we say we should be strict in running the army, we mean first of all being strict with the leading bodies and senior cadres.我们说治军要严,首先对领导班子要严,对高级干部要严。 恩， a saying goes that when those that is high up don't set a good example , the subordinates⁶ can not be expected to behave well. 常言道：上梁不正下梁歪。

【对话翻译】

The translation of the whole dialogue is :

A : 你喜欢你们新上任的经理吗？

B : 不喜欢，他是不好对付的人。

A : 怎讲？

B : 他对我们要求太严厉了。

【温故知新】

【翻译练习】

1 Please translate the following senteces.

家家有一本难念的经。

据说她是一个难驯服的女人。

我从来就不太了解比尔，他不太爱说话，我总觉得他这个人很难对付。

考试的第三道题真是够难的。

她这个人不好说话，我想她不会答应我们的。

期末考试不好对付。

我最终会从他那里获得情报的，不过他是个难以对付的人，因而时间可能要很长。

就是因为太太不大管你们,我才来管你们老师对他的学生非常严格。

参考译文： Each has his own hard nut to crack.

They say that she is a hard nut to crack.

I never know Bill very well.He was not very communicative and always seemed to me a hard nut to crack.

The third question in the examination is a hard nut to crack.

She is a hard nut to crack;I don't think she will give us permission.

The final exam was a hard nut to crack.

I'll get the information from him eventually but he's a hard nut to crack and it may take a long time.

The teacher is very strict with his students.

It's because she's not strict enough with you that I have to be so strict【空中听力】

请从录音中找出原声对话，然后进行听写。

A : Do you like your new manager?

B : No, he's a hard nut to crack. A : Why?

B : He's too strict with us.

【写作话题】

1 How do you think of a strict manager in a firm. 对于公司严格的经历，你是如何看待的。

2 If you are a manager in a firm , how do you get along with your stuff⁷.

如果你是一个公司经理，你如何与你的职员相处好。

【口译练习】

Please translate the following dialogue into Chinese orally.

A : 你喜欢你们新上任的经理吗？

B : 不喜欢，他是不好对付的人。

A : 怎讲？

B : 他对我们要求太严厉了。

 

转自可可英语

1 amiable   

adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的

参考例句：

• She was a very kind and amiable old woman.她是个善良和气的老太太。
• We have a very amiable companionship.我们之间存在一种友好的关系。

2 intimate   

adj.亲密的，密切的；个人的，私人的；v.暗示、提示、宣布、通知

参考例句：

• The two of them were as intimate as sisters.她们俩处得好像亲姐妹一样。
• I can't tell them my intimate thoughts.我不能告诉他们我内心深处的想法。

3 examination   

n.考试，考查，试题；检查，调查

参考例句：

• Teachers always judge their students on the final examination.老师常根据期末考试来评价他们的学生。
• He put up a good show in the final examination.他在期末考试中表现得不错。

4 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

5 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

6 subordinates   

级别或职位较低的( subordinate的名词复数 )； 下级的； 次要的； 附属的

参考例句：

• The lower level subordinates itself to the higher level. 下级服从上级。
• Subordinates with democratic norms continually reduce his freedow to issue unexplained orders. 具有民主准则的下属们不断限制他发出不经解释的命令的自由。

7 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。